CHAPTER 33: COMING HOME
The magical waters swirled and were changing the seven girls. Sunset shimmer watched as her hands were morphed back into hooves, her mane flowing through the gentle current. The light of the sun shone above them as they swam up. The seven mares' heads broke the surface, but they weren't transported back to the historic battle field, but the throne room of canterlot castle. The waters disappeared, and their coats completely dry. No one had anything to say about what just happened, not even pinkie pie. "That was," rainbow dash began "Awesome!" she exclaimed as she hovered in the air. The seven friends laughed with delight, even though sunset felt a bit sad that she would never go back, but her mother was right, her place was in equestria. "Princess Twilight, you have returned!" praised a familiar voice. It was princess celestia! "Celestia! You're okay!" twilight cheered as she hugged the princess. Celestia glanced at the elements of harmony around their necks, especially the element of courage, to which sunset shimmer was its bearer. "The seventh element, you found it?" celestia asked, a bit surprised. Spike and the breezies bounded up behind the princess, smiles pinned on their faces. sunset hesitated at first, but then replied, "turns out that friendship was exactly what i needed, my curse is gone, forever" celestia smiled warmly at her former student. "You have shown great courage sunset shimmer, and for that i owe you my life, there is a group of exceptional ponies in my court, you may have heard of them as 'the knights if the round stable'" celestia explained. "You mean they're real? I always thought they were an old pony's tale" sunset replied. "They are indeed real, and i think that you, would be the perfect choice for their newest member." celestia explained happily. Sunset shimmer's mouth hung open in surprise. "Me? As a... knight?" she stuttered from excitement. Celestia nodded, and sunset leaped into the air. "Of course i accept! This is amazing, me? As a knight of the round stable!" she squealed in delight. "Sweet! A knight, that's like..." rainbow dash started, "five times more awesome than a wonderbolt, or, maybe just two times better, being a wonderbolt would still be my number-one-dream job" she said with confidence. "But..." celestia added. The seven mares stopped to listen. "but first a choice must be made for you sunset, the elements of harmony are the soul heart of the tree of harmony's magic, yet they have brought you to the magic of friendship, the choice is yours, you can keep your element, or return it and the others to the tree of harmony" celestia explained. Sunset shimmer thought deeply. Her element of harmony was the thing that bound her to her friends, but then again, she was friends with these girls way before she even knew she was an elements of harmony! And even without it, she would always be connected to her element, and her friends. she grinned, "i choose to return my element to the tree of harmony, that is it's true home, and i won't be the one to take it away from it" she said bravely. Her friends hugged her, and she smiled. Princess Celestia smiled too.
"Are you sure?" celestia asked. The princess and the seven mares were now in the cavern that held the tree of harmony. Sunset shimmer stood in front of the magical tree, she had chosen to return the element to its home, and that's what she was going to do. She nodded once, and joined her friends at the tree. Tra la la, tiddlywinks, and zipzee had used their breezie magic to grow another element branch, so the magic of the seven elements would give life to the tree of harmony. Twilight smiled as she used her magenta magic to lift each element gem out of each necklace. Carefully she placed each one in its rightful place. They all glowed with magic, a ribbon of colors streamed through the elements and into the tree. It was beautiful to watch. "It is done" said celestia. "Well, that's over and done, what do we do now?" tiddlywinks asked. Zipzee and tra la la shrugged. "You three will be charged with a very dangerous, but very important task" celestia replied. "Bring it on!" tra la la challenged. "You three possess the three most powerful magic's, friendship, love, and family, and with these powers you will protect and watch over the tree of harmony, i know you won't fail." the breezies held up their heads with confidence. "We won't let you down your highness" said zipzee. A loud bark came from sunset shimmer. They all turned to look at her in surprise, "wasn't me!" she shrugged. "Rrrruuuufff!" the noise barked again, Hercules scurried out from sunset shimmer's mane. "Hercules! Were you there the whole time?" she asked. He barked in reply and nuzzled her cheek. Everypony laughed, it felt good to laugh again, and it felt good to be free again. Celestia smiled down at her former student, "we all have a ceremony to prepare for" she said. Rarity squealed with delight, "i already have sooo many ideas for your ceremonial knight's dress, we could start with..." "that won't be necessary rarity, i can tell sunset has already decided on what to wear" celestia cut in. "oooohhh" rarity pouted, she and her friends then continued laughing and rarity joined in.
Everypony gathered in the throne room rose to greet the heroes who stopped medusa from destroying their kingdom. The doors opened and sunset shimmer was dressed in the golden armor of a royal guard, to symbolize her great bravery. Her six friends stood beside her, because they had all defeated medusa together. The music ponies played the ceremonial royal guard song.
"United we stand, now and forever
In truth, divided we fall
Hoof upon hand, brother to sister
No one shall be greater than all
United we stand, now and forever
In truth, divided we fall
Hoof upon hand, brother to sister
No one shall be greater than all"
The seven mares bowed to the princess', who all stood together side by side, Princess Luna, and princess cadence, three of the four alicorns. Celestia smiled.
"On this great day we celebrate
All that makes our kingdom great
Harmony and friendship for all
None of us we will divide
We will all stand side by side
Promising equality for all who reside"
princess celestia brought her horn down gently on sunset shimmer's left shoulder, to officially proclaim her, a knight of the round stable! Celestia's horn glowed in sun gold, and a royal red tarp that covered a window fell to the ground. Underneath it showed a beautiful stain glass window, right in the place of the window medusa had put there. In the picture showed sunset shimmer standing with her six friends, applejack, fluttershy, pinkie pie, rarity, rainbow dash, and twilight sparkle. They were wearing the elements of harmony, their rainbow colors weaving throughout the picture. Medusa was in her dragon form, the twelve heads all tangled up, and the rainbow colors spiraling around her glass body. It was amazing, and sunset shimmer smiled with pride.
"United we stand, now and forever
In truth, divided we fall
Hoof upon hand, brother to sister
No one shall be greater than all"
Shining armor, as captain of the royal guard, should in front of them so sunset could take the pledge of knights. To pledge to give the rights of the kingdom to all who live within it. Every member of the knights was present, and took the pledge with her, to symbolize interdependence, and teamwork. While twilight and the others sung the guard's anthem.
"Liberty"
"Justice"
"Trust"
"Shall be greater than all"
"Freedom"
"Peace"
"Honor"
"No one greater than all"
"Goodness"
"Strength"
"Valor"
"Shall be greater than all"
This was everything sunset wanted, to be free of that dark curse, to have friends who care about her, to have a family once more, to be home. She glanced at her family sitting in the seating rows. Her father was beaming with pride, her sister saluted in respect, her mother smiled warmly as usual, and her brother was with the other knights. celestia announced "i, princess celestia, hear-by call upon this mare who stands before you with courage in her heart, who defended equestria with her life, sacrificing herself and risking her life time and time again, to defend out great kingdom, from this day forward she will stand as a knight of the round stable!" the crowd stomped their hooves in applause. Sunset shimmer beamed with pride, her heart did summer-saults inside her chest, but everything was worth it. The knights raised their right hooves in unison, to salute the kingdom of equestria, and for the first of many more times, sunset shimmer raised her right hoof, and saluted too. once the ceremony was over, everypony retired to their homes in canterlot, but sunset shimmer and her six friends, as well as the princess's, shining armor, and sunset's family stayed to congratulate her. Her mother approached her with a smile glowing with love and pride, "you came home" sunset beamed as she hugged star catcher. "I wouldn't miss it for the world" her mother chimed. "I knew you could do it, I'm sorry i wasn't there for you all those years, but know that i love you and always will" star catcher explained. Sunset felt a tear of joy slip down her face as she squeezed her mother. She pulled away, and star catcher went back to join sunset's father. She was so happy that her family was reunited, but yet she sighed with sorrow. "Whatever is wrong sunset shimmer? are you not thrilled to be a knight, and that you may once again return to your life in canterlot?" asked princess Luna, "that's the problem, i finally know the magic of friendship, and how amazing it is to have friends, i have to leave them" she frowned. Princess Luna glanced at her sister with an idea in her head, she whispered the idea in celestia's ear. princess celestia nodded in agreement, and rainbow dash suggested, "you know, twilight IS a princess after all" rarity took up for her, "and the knight's should purpose is to protect the royals of equestria" pinkie pie butted in too "and come to think of it, there are NO royal guards, OR knights in ponyVille to protect the innocent princess twilight form danger!" the princess sister smiled, "a very valid point girls, sunset?" sunset shimmer perked up her ears to listen. "i hereby decree that from this day on, princess twilight shall have at least One royal guard in ponyville at all times, to watch over, and protect her with their life, and i think you would be perfect for the job sunset" celestia announced. Sunset shimmer's eyes widened in what looked like a combination of surprise and joy. "What do you think sunset? Are you up for it?" shining armor asked with a sly smile. Sunset was speechless, she nodded excitedly and her friends cheered and wrapped her in a group hug. They all smiled with joy, relief, and most of all, love.